Various well-known types of lottery games allow a player to select one or more groups of numbers, symbols, and the like, to match with a group of numbers randomly generated by the gaming administrator or operator. For example, lottery games referred to as “Pick-3” are offered in which a player selects three numbers to match identically with a set of three numbers generated by the gaming administrator at a later drawing time. Modifications and versions of this game are well known.
The payout for these games is typically a function of the number of matching numbers selected by the player compared to the total set of random numbers generated by the gaming administrator. Generally, the size of the payout for a winning play must be balanced with the quantity of numbers the player must match to produce a winning outcome. For example, if a high payout is offered, the game generally requires the player to match five or more numbers. This type of game, however, typically produces few winners and, thus, may cause players to lose interest in the game.
If the gaming administrator wishes to produce winners more frequently, it may reduce the quantity of numbers a player must match for a winning outcome. For instance, a match of 3 or more numbers could result in a winning outcome. However, the payout amount for a winning outcome is also reduced accordingly. The lower payout amount may also cause players to lose interest in the game.
Interactive games are also known in the art wherein players interact with the gaming authority over a communications network (such as the Internet or a telephone network). For example, a player may purchase a ticket directly from the gaming authority via the Internet and select certain criteria related to the game from a set of different options, such as the numbers the player wishes to play, or the time the ticket is to be activated. Direct interactive games, however, also have certain drawbacks. For example, such games are not popular with lottery ticket retailers because he retailer is unnecessary to initiate or play the game and is thus bypassed by the player. This can significantly reduce customer traffic in the retailer's establishment. Interactive games also suffer the disadvantage of not having an effective method to distribute or award prizes through the retailer. Also, such games often require the player to purchase the ticket with a credit card, which is not legal in all venues.
The present invention relates to a system and method for a two-component lottery game that merges the benefits of terminal or retailer based systems and player interactive systems.